SMLE Mk 1 rearsight question

[Big Ball Bag]

I have 10 ShTLE MkI*, none have clicks on the windage.

None have pins holding the sight togeather.

Pic below show the use of collared screws and a sliding dovetail plate to retain the windage screw on a MkI* rear sight.

Note, no grooves or ball bearings or clicker plates on these parts.




[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Ridolpho]

Add my two to the mix and , I believe, that makes 16 Mk I's that don't have "clicks" that have been mentioned so-far. Big Ball bag's photos seem clear- just friction. And BBB- show us some of those Mk I*'s. How have you managed to acquire 10 of them?

Ridolpho

[Peter Laidler]

Like I said....., I could be wrong and it looks like I was. But look at it in a different way now. Through all the words and discussion BBB has come up with the goods and because of me and him you all know the answer and will now be sorting out your glued-up sights.

To me it is a totally unsatisfactory way of doing things. It's like leaving out the clicker spring in a Bren backsight or the No32 sight. Just waiting for something to rub against the knob and it's out of zero. Totally alien to my way of thinking confirmed in thread 3 when it appears that they were listening to me and did improve the system later!

Back to the drawing board

[Maxwell Smart]

They are an interesting sight to use, adjustable for windage and finer elevation

[mike1967]

The bone buttons can also be taken off. Press them in and pull to remove the slide from the leaf, and they and there respective springs wiggle and fall out. There is usually quiet an amount of crud in there!

Would have to come close to being the record on the amount of individual parts on a rear sight.

[RCS]

Some years ago, I purchased a Mark 1*** rifle and the backsight slide was missing with the small screw. I was able to make a backsighr slide after a few attempts with help from a small milling attachment on my lathe. The bone inserts were made from hard wood and checkered. After this photo was taken, I went back and reduced the sharp checkering. Behind the inserts are two small diameter coil springs and I was only able to locate chrome plated springs of the correct diameter - which worked out.

My other photo shows the difference between the early and later backsight leaf springAttachment 83899Attachment 83900

[RobD]

Well done, mhb Mike - that's a great tutorial.
I followed your instructions, cleaned out the crud, and gave the spring washer a bit more curve - it's now as good as new.
Rob